20 management books to read in 2023
It is no secret that the world’s highly effective people and great leaders share similar traits, whether it’s years of experience, emotional intelligence, or unique leadership styles they swear by.
Taking a page out of their books is a longtime best practice to shaping your own management approach, as reading the words of others, engages you with new ways of thinking and exposes you to alternate perspectives.
With an ever-growing number of business and management books appearing, seemingly every day, it’s difficult to know where to begin. To get you started, we’ve compiled a shortlist of our 20 Must-Read Books For Successful Managers.
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The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You – By Julie Zhuo
Julie Zhuo, Facebook’s first intern, was made a manager at the age of 25. With no management experience to speak of and the enormous weight of her staff’s expectations, Zhuo had no choice but to learn on the fly.
Many years and plenty of teams later Zhuo has written The Making Of A Manager, specifically to aid new managers by providing clear direction and practical advice for the newly promoted.
The Silo Effect: The Peril of Expertise and the Promise of Breaking Down Barriers – By Gillian Tett
In The Silo Effect, Tett asks the question “Why do humans working in modern institutions collectively act in ways that sometimes seem stupid?” and goes on to discuss how the traditional corporate structure of departments can lead to decision-making that would appear to otherwise be counter-intuitive.
If you are a newly minted department manager, this is a must-read. Not only does Tett share stories of disastrous decisions made because of this silo effect form of thinking, but she also discusses examples of where managers and the institutions in which they work, have been able to overcome the silo effect.
Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World With OKRs – By John Doerr
In Measure What Matters, John Doerr, the legendary venture capitalist shares how the goal-setting system of Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) has helped some of the world’s most successful organizations achieve greatness, and how it can help you, and your organization flourish.
Through a series of case studies, Doerr walks you through the OKR system explaining how objectives define what you want to achieve while key results are the steps that will take you there. To know whether you are attaining those key results, you will set specific, measurable actions that have to be achieved within a specific timeframe.
Developing an OKR system not only provides you with a way to manage your team and their work, but it also makes your expectations clear to your team members allowing them to see how their success or otherwise will be measured.
Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts – By Brene Brown
Defining the title of a manager can be tricky. Are people given the title of manager, automatically adept at motivating their teams, showing empathy to team members, recognizing the potential in others, and being brave enough to develop that potential?
In Dare To Lead Brown uses research, stories, case studies, and other examples to explain how braver, more daring managers who are willing to share their power instead of hoarding it, can build organizations that prosper.
Now, Discover Your Strengths: How To Develop Your Talents And Those Of The People You Manage – By Marcus Buckingham, Donald O. Clifton
Marcus Buckingham writes about how we are taught to identify our weaknesses and focus on overcoming them. He argues that this “fault first” approach is one that leads us to ignore our strengths, or at the very least under-utilize them.
Discover Your Strengths includes a unique access code that allows you to complete an online interview to “discover your five greatest strengths.”
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Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life – By Nir Eyal
Much has been said and written about how we are becoming increasingly distracted and the potential impact this has in the workplace for both managers and the people they manage.
Stanford lecturer, and behavioral design expert, Nir Eyal, looks at the psychology of electronic distraction and what we can do to overcome it with a four-step research-backed model of how you can live with technology without developing a Pavlovian response to your notification ping.
Talking To Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don’t Know – By Malcolm Gladwell
While not written explicitly for managers or even those in business, Talking To Strangers examines how most of us are predisposed to believing other people are being honest and transparent. Gladwell moves from this belief to the fact that when someone behaves in a way that is seen as outside of the norm, we usually have an automatically suspicious or negative response.
Through the examination of high-profile interactions such as the traffic stop of Sandra Brand and her subsequent death, the financial fraud of Bernie Madoff, Sylvia Plath’s suicide, and the Jerry Sandusky pedophilia scandal Gladwell challenges the tools and strategies we use to speak with others. Not only that, he discusses how the ways in which we interact can lead to misunderstanding, conflict, and potentially catastrophic consequences.
HBR’s 10 Must Reads 2020: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (with bonus article “How CEOs Manage Time” by Michael E. Porter and Nitin Nohria)
Each of The Harvard Business School Must Reads series is an anthology of articles written by leading experts and previously published in The Harvard Business Review.
While there are many Must Reads available, some specifically tailored to a particular role or industry, this specific example is for every manager.
With articles as diverse as “Collaborative Intelligence: Humans and AI Are Joining Forces,” by H. James Wilson and Paul R. Daugherty, “How CEOs Manage Time,” by Michael E. Porter and Nitin Nohria, and “Strategy for Start-Ups,” by Joshua Gans, Erin L. Scott, and Scott Stern, there are relevant business conversations from which we can all learn.
As a bonus, this one is also available as an audiobook, so listen during your commute and arrive at work inspired.
The Harvard Business Review Manager’s Handbook: The 17 Skills Leaders Need to Stand Out
The HBR Manager’s Handbook is an excellent choice for those who prefer resources offering specific step-by-step guidance for a task this handbook is split into five parts covering how to develop a leadership mindset; manage yourself; manage individuals; manage teams, and manage the business.
It would be difficult to read this cover to cover, but you should take the time to read part one, “The Transition To Leadership.” This section talks about the role of a manager, the differences between management and leadership, and a slew of other critical points for the new manager, including dispelling some common manager myths.
The layout makes it easy to grab hold of and dip into when you are experiencing a particular challenge. So, for example, if you’ll be going through financial statements for the first time, there is a chapter that explains how to understand them.
Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth – By Richard Boyatzis, Melvin L. Smith, Ellen Van Oosten
Many managers mistakenly believe that teaching their team consists of pointing out the things people have done wrong and telling them to do it right next time. Unfortunately, this approach is neither helpful nor constructive and in the long-term can lead to strained personal and professional relationships and a hemorrhaging of staff.
Boyatzis, Smith, and Van Oosten tell us that we should focus on identifying a person’s hopes, dreams, goals, or the positive aspects of their self-image. Then, once we know what drives a person, we can find ways to coach them that will lead to sustained, positive results.
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Creative Calling: Establish a Daily Practice, Infuse Your World with Meaning, and Succeed in Work + Life – By Chase Jarvis
It doesn’t matter if you are a creative or not because Creative Calling is said to unlock your potential via Jarvis’s memorable “IDEA” system:
○ Imagine your big dream, whatever you want to create—or become—in this world.
○ Design a daily practice that supports that dream—and a life of expression and transformation.
○ Execute your ambitious plans and make your vision real.
○ Amplify your impact through a supportive community; you’ll learn to grow and nurture.
Permission to Screw Up: How I Learned to Lead by Doing (Almost) Everything Wrong – By Kristen Hadeed
Not every teaching moment has to come from a handbook or a how-to manual and Permission To Screw Up is the perfect example of how you can learn just as much through the experiences of others.
In her first book Hadeed recounts how she founded her company, Student Maid, by accident, and how, before becoming an incredibly successful and sought-after CEO, if there was a wrong way to do something, she did it.
An excellent choice for those who find it difficult to plow through the more traditional, instructional type of management book, Permission To Screw Up is as entertaining as it is educational.
Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization? -By Aaron Dignan
In this book, Dignan shares his strategies for cutting through the traditional corporate structures and operating systems to rediscover what’s important to the success of your organization.
Dignan’s strategies are shared in radical, successful case studies of his clients.
If you are ready to work outside of the commonly accepted norms, go grab yourself a copy of Brave New Work.
Creating an Effective Management System: Integrating Policy Deployment, TWI, and Kata – By Patrick Graupp, Skip Steward, Brad Parsons
If you ever find yourself in a position where you’re a new manager, and part, or all of your role involves management systems, then this book is an absolute must.
Graupp, Steward, and Parsons not only outline how an organization can identify what an effective management system should look like for them, but the trio of experts describe how the critical elements of a system should work together to achieve organizational success.
The First-Time Manager – By Jim McCormick
The First Time Manager is a combination of a pep talk, explanatory text, how-to’s, and checklists, written by an unconventional author. McCormick is the founder of The Research Institute for Risk Intelligence, has worked in both the private and public sectors.
As a consequence, The First Time manager does not focus on one industry, or even on the business sector; instead, it provides candid advice to new managers in any type of organization.
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First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently – By Gallup with a foreword by James K. Harter
Gallup set out to find what it is that the world’s great managers have in common, and they did so by interviewing 80,000 managers.
It examines managers and employee performance from Fortune 500 companies to small entrepreneurial enterprises, CEOs to supervisors, and how they have all helped to propel their employees, and consequently their organizations to the next level.
Break All The Rules also comes with online access to Gallup’s Q12 employee engagement survey and reporting.
The Ordinary Leader: 10 Key Insights for Building and Leading a Thriving Organization – By Randy Grieser
In The Ordinary Leader, Randy Grieser shares his ten key insights for building and leading an organization that will flourish. Each of these insights translates to one of 10 key principles that Grieser sees as essential to achieving success as a leader.
The stories and perspectives used are those of 10 ordinary leaders, and this is a refreshing change from the many, many, leadership and management books which use Fortune 500 companies or ultra-successful entrepreneurs as their examples.
Radical Candor: Fully Revised & Updated Edition: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity Hardcover – by Kim Scott
One of the hardest things for new managers to achieve is finding the sweet spot between doormat and dictator. Newbies usually want to be liked by their team and make the mistake of thinking they cannot be forceful, or they want to assert their authority and end up alienated from their unhappy, dissatisfied team.
In Radical Candor, Scott shares how you can care about your people without being afraid to speak your mind, as well as how not to become overbearing or a bully in the process. She also discusses how you can provide and solicit constructive criticism to ensure continual cultural improvement.
That’s What She Said – By Joanne Lipman
That’s What She Said provides practical advice for managers who want to work towards greater gender parity in the workplace.
Through a combination of case studies and personal experience, Lipman asks how managers in a post #MeToo movement world can ensure their workplace is an equitable and professionally fulfilling environment for all.
Most useful for new managers may be the “positive action now” cheat sheet— useful for ALL managers who want to narrow the divide between genders at work but are fearful of making mistakes.
Start Finishing: How to Go from Idea to Done- By Charlie Gilkey
We’ve all been there. A bright shiny new project that you can’t wait to get started on has suddenly devolved into something you’d be happy to run away from. If you have a lifetime’s worth of “maybe one-day” ideas or have left a series of unfinished projects, plans, and tasks in your wake then Start Finishing is the book for you.
Gilkey will guide you through the essential steps that will help you to take ideas through to completion without too much pain on the way.
So, there you have it. Our 20 Must-Read Books For Successful Managers. Go ahead, grab yourself a copy of one of these fabulous books, but don’t blame us if you end up buying them all.
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8 Books You Should Read for a Successful 2021
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Whether you emerged from it in the red or in the black, 2020 was a difficult year for everyone. Some people are starting the new year hoping to shake things up, while others are just trying to stay afloat. No matter where you find yourself, times like these are great for personal development.
LeadershipSmarts & Lioncrest Publishing
If you're feeling a bit lost as the year begins, try hitting the books. Your first moves of 2021 should be a part of a strong overall mission, and the right book can provide the inspiration you need to develop one of your own. Here are some of the best to read for the coming year.
1. The New Law Business Model: Build a Lucrative Law Practice That You (and Your Clients) Love by Ali Katz
Law is an art, but it's also a business. Ali Katz's story of going from top of her class at Georgetown Law to generating more than $1 million in revenue annually in just three years is one that anyone — regardless of their field — could learn from. The New Law Business Model contains more inspiration and insight in just a few pages than most books do cover to cover, making it a must-buy for this year.
Related: 22 Successful Entrepreneurs Share What Inspires Them to Keep Going
2. Hackable: How to Do Application Security Right by Ted Harrington
Going in back doors, finding exploits and generally making a mess of things — that's what hackers do. In his new book, Hackable, Ted Harrington argues that companies need to take a similar approach to secure their systems. He shows just how important it is to think outside the box and be willing to push boundaries in potentially troublesome ways, whether the subject is application security or something else entirely.
3. What They Didn't Tell Me: How to Be a Resilient Leader and Build Teams You Can Trust by Jawad Ahsan
When Jawad Ahsan resolved to fight his way into the C-suite, he had no idea just what he'd be up against. After years of hard work, Ahsan finally made it to the top and wrote What They Didn't Tell Me in order to share what he learned with others who are willing to do whatever it takes to be great leaders.
Related: 3 Creative Quotes That Illustrate the Difference Between Imitation and Inspiration
4. A Fool's Errand: Why Your Goals Are Falling Short and What You Can Do About It by Roy Cook
New Year's resolutions famously end sooner than expected — but why? For those hoping to reach their goals this time around, A Fool's Errand will prove a useful guide. Attaining your goals starts with defining your personal core values, and Roy Cook's new book can help you do just that.
5. Ghost: Why Perfect Women Shrink by Iona Holloway
Sometimes the most inspiring books are also the most painful to get through. In her debut memoir, Iona Holloway covers some of the most painful topics of career, perfectionism and womanhood in a beautiful and enlightening way. Ghost may not be an easy read, but it's one that will inspire some meaningful reflection as soon as you pick it up.
6. F*ck the Glass Ceiling: Start at the Top (and Stay There) as a Feminine Entrepreneur by Mandy Cavanaugh
As provocative as its title suggests, F*ck the Glass Ceiling is a battle cry for women climbing the corporate ladder or leading their own businesses. Mandy Cavanaugh's powerful voice can help men and women alike hone their masculine and feminine energy to be their most authentic self in business.
Related: 10 Positive Leadership Books to Motivate and Inspire You During Difficult Times
7. The Art of Alignment: A Practical Guide to Inclusive Leadership by Patty Beach
It's not enough just to be inspired; you have to know how to inspire those around you as well. The Art of Alignment is a kind of inspiration how-to for leaders, explaining precisely what you should and shouldn't do when it comes to rallyiong a team or group around your causes. Once you get the inspiration you need, give back by inspiring others. Patty Beach can show you how.
8. Coming Back: How to Win the Job You Want When You've Lost the Job You Need by Fawn Germer
If you're among the hundreds of thousands of mid-career professionals who lost a job thanks to Covid-19, Fawn Germer wants you to know you're not alone. She also wants you to get up, dust yourself off and go get the job you want. In Coming Back, Fermer gives older job seekers the guidance they need to upgrade their tech skills, rock social media and make themselves relevant in the new world of work.
There's no one right way to be inspired, so cast a wide net. Reading a few of these books can open your eyes to just how dynamic and resilient the human spirit is — a powerful reminder as you kick off your year.
The 35 Best Books for Entrepreneurs
No matter how experienced you are as an entrepreneur—whether you’re just opening your doors or have already started a few successful businesses—you can always benefit from advice from someone who has followed a similar journey. That’s where reading some of the best books for entrepreneurs comes into the mix.
Maybe you need a little inspiration to rev up your engines, or you could use some advice on how to be a better manager and bring your business to new heights. Whatever entrepreneurial advice you need, sitting down and reading one of these best books for entrepreneurs can be one of the best ways to get it.
What are the best books for entrepreneurs? Well, there are lots of must-reads if you’re a small business owner. We’ve put them all together in one list to tackle all your questions about how to start a business and lead one effectively.
35 Best Entrepreneur Books
Check out our list of the 35 best books for entrepreneurs to read.
1. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie
“How to Win Friends and Influence People” is a must-read for anyone who considers themselves an entrepreneur. This is another all-time great on the best business books list, but it’s for anyone who wants to build their people skills and cultivate relationships that will help them succeed.
Carnegie breaks down the essential steps you need to take to make friends and connect with everyone you meet. Whether it’s your competition or potential investors, this book will teach you how to win over the people who don’t believe in you or your idea.
2. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey
What makes one business owner more successful than their competitor?
“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” will teach you how to be a better entrepreneur than everyone else and run a better business than anything that’s out there. Hint: It takes powerful focus and initiative—and this book will teach you how to harness that.
This is a book that every business owner should keep easily accessible. It’s not a book you can read once, pick up a few tips, and be on your way. Instead, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is a book to continually revisit as you grow as an entrepreneur and build your business.
3. “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
“Think and Grow Rich” is a classic business book that has helped millions of business leaders create and execute on a plan for success.
This is one of the best books for entrepreneurs looking for some advice on personal and professional development. It teaches business owners how to look inward and change their mindset. One of the biggest takeaways from the book is learning how to set a goal and hit it.
“Think and Grow Rich” has been on the shelves of the most successful entrepreneurs, and it should be considered a must-read for any business owner.
4. “True North” by Bill George and Peter Sims
Some small business owners have a distinct leadership style without even thinking about it. Some, on the other hand, need a little help finding their way as a leader.
“True North” is one of the best books for entrepreneurs who need help becoming leaders. The book will help you develop into an authentic leader, define your values and leadership principles, and better understand how you want to run your business.
5. “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries
If you want to build a better business, go grab a copy of “The Lean Startup.” Ries will teach you how to build a company that’s more efficient and better at leveraging its employees’ creativity—so you’ll always be ahead of your competition.
Businesses both big and small are built and operate under uncertainty. “The Lean Startup” will help you navigate that fog and build a lasting, sustainable business no matter what’s thrown your way. Business owners need to adapt and adjust, and”The Lean Startup” will help you with just that.
6. “The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker
“The Effective Executive” is one of three books that Amazon’s Jeff Bezos made his senior managers sit down and read during an all-day book club. So needless to say, the book has some valuable advice for business owners.
“The Effective Executive” is one of the best entrepreneur books because it teaches business owners the importance of getting the things that matter done. The book reinforces how important it is to avoid being unproductive and invest in the right things.
Read this book to learn the time management tips and decision-making habits of the best executives out there.
7. “Getting Things Done” by David Allen
As a busy small business owner, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the details and become overwhelmed running your company.
“Getting Things Done” will teach you how to avoid this stress and maintain perspective on your business. Your ability to relax and keep a clear mind when you make decisions for your business is crucial for your productivity and success. So take a deep breath, and read this business book to learn how to clear your mind and make better decisions for your business.
8. “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell
The most successful entrepreneurs can make those tough decisions that no one wants to make when the business depends on it.
But how do you know when you’re making the right decision? And what makes a good decision-maker? “Blink” walks through these questions, looking at how business owners approach decision-making.
This is one of the best books for entrepreneurs who are just starting out and need to learn how to make those first, pivotal decisions that determine the success of their business.
9. “Crushing It!” by Gary Vaynerchuk
In this follow up to his best-seller “Crush It!,” Vaynerchuk breaks down how intertwined your personal brand is with your entrepreneurial success, especially in today’s social media-driven world.
Using this book, entrepreneurs can study practical and tactical advice to using every major (and some minor) social media platform to advance their brand. Stories of how other business owners utilized Vaynerchuk’s advice to their advantage form the basis of the book and provide a framework for you to do the same.
10. “ Start With Why” by Simon Sinek
This book comes from motivational speaker and author Simon Sinek. You may be familiar with his Ted Talk that touches on the concept of leaders being the ones to inspire action in their colleagues. Learn how to be a great leader, inspire your employees to work harder, and generate loyalty among customers, all by starting with one word: why.
11. “Measure What Matters” by John Doerr
Do you know what your company’s OKRs are? In fact, do you even know what OKRs are at all? If not, you should read this best-selling book about “objectives and key results,” a concept Doerr brought to Google and countless other companies after learning about this measurement paradigm at Intel in the 1970s.
OKRs help companies define and focus on their goals, as well as identify the actions they need to take to achieve those goals. Through case studies, you’ll see how the use of OKRs boosts not just productivity, but employee satisfaction and retention. Industry giants like Bill Gates give “Measure What Matters” their seal of approval, cementing it as one of the best business books of the decade.
12. “Dying for a Paycheck” by Jeffrey Pfeffer
In your time as an entrepreneur, you may have noticed what Pfeffer posits: That modern work life is often a mental and physical drain on people. If you want to be part of the solution as a business owner, this book is for you.
Pfeffer’s book will inspire you to change what isn’t working about work. It may also help you create the kind of healthy, sustainable, forward-thinking company culture that will not only attract talented people but keep them happy, productive, and stress-free.
13. “The Hard Thing About Hard Things” by Ben Horowitz
Horowitz wants to let aspiring entrepreneurs know that building a business is much harder than just executing on an idea.
In “The Hard Thing About Hard Things,” Horowitz explains that even the most prestigious business schools can’t teach you how to deal with the toughest problems that come with building and running a startup. Horowitz analyzes the problems that business owners confront on a day-to-day basis and shares insight on how to deal with them.
Read this business book to get the no-nonsense advice you need to get over a problem that’s holding your business back.
14. “The Peter Principle: Why Things Always Go Wrong” by Laurence Peter and Raymond Hull
You might reach a point in your business when you feel like everything is wrong or you’ve reached a hurdle you just can’t get over.
“The Peter Principle” answers the question you’ve probably asked before: “Why do things go wrong?” This book will help you address your point of weakness and develop a plan to move forward.
Most importantly, “The Peter Principle” will teach you how to recognize when you’ve reached the “point of incompetence” and you need to hire new people to grow your business. The book will reinforce the idea that great people make great businesses—and the ability to find and hire good people can make or break your business.
15. “The Founder’s Dilemmas” by Noam Wasserman
You might spend a lot of time familiarizing yourself with what makes a business great, but do you know what can totally sink a business? If you’re a new entrepreneur, you might not know what to watch out for.
“The Founder’s Dilemma” is all about identifying small business mistakes before you make them. Consider this one of the best books for entrepreneurs who want to learn how not to fail. Wasserman studied the good, bad, and ugly of running a small business to give you the tools you need to avoid bad decisions. So if you need help running your business smoothly, use “The Founder’s Dilemma” to steer clear of hazards.
16. “The Obstacle Is the Way” by Ryan Holiday
“The Obstacle Is the Way” doesn’t totally focus on running a business, but it can teach you how to overcome the challenges of running a business and move toward progress. It’ll require you to think like a philosopher, but the book gives great insight on the core principles of being a great business owner.
The book shows how the principles of ancient Greek Stoicism can help you be an effective leader. Use this book to learn how to identify the things you can control, let go of the things you can’t, and turn every business challenge into an opportunity to reach new heights.
17. “The Simplicity Cycle” by Dan Ward
Sometimes things go wrong for your business because everything’s just so complicated. And while complexity is necessary in some business ideas and processes, it often just adds problems.
In “The Simplicity Cycle,” Ward emphasizes how important it is for you to balance complexity and simplicity so that your business runs smoothly. He’ll teach you how to identify problems, how to fix them, and when you need to simplify your business.
18. “Creativity, Inc.” by Ed Catmull
Great entrepreneurs always keep their creative wheels spinning, thinking of ways to bring their businesses to the next level. And sometimes all you need is a moment of creativity to bring your business out of a rut.
If you want to learn how to foster a creative environment for your business to always stay ahead of the game, read “Creativity, Inc.” This book is one of the best books for entrepreneurs. It takes you into the world of Pixar Animation—the ultimate creativity hub.
The book will teach you how to lead employees to new heights, approach problems in unique ways, and strive for originality.
The Best Books for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
If you’re just starting out as a hopeful new entrepreneur, check out these books to get into the entrepreneurial mindset and walk away with a better understanding of how to build a business.
19. “The 4-Hour Workweek” by Timothy Ferriss
“The 4-Hour Workweek” is a must-read for anyone who wants to take the plunge into entrepreneurship. This is considered one of the best business books ever, and it’s particularly useful for those who need some inspiration to get out of the nine-to-five grind.
Ferriss teaches you how to create and automate an income-generator (your “muse”) so that you can spend the time doing whatever it is you’re really passionate about. Ferriss knows that entrepreneurship is a great way to take control of your life and enjoy what you do—without working 40 hours a week. He’ll make you excited for the challenge of building a business that can be run with only four hours of your time each week.
20. “Rework” by Jason Fried and David Hansson
“Rework” will fundamentally change how you think about starting a business. For Fried and Hansson, building a business is about getting up on your feet and walking straight toward your goals.
You’ve heard this advice for starting a business before: write a business plan, study your market and competition, look for business financing, and so on. Fried and Hansson want you to throw all those steps out the door. They have a whole new system that will help you act on your entrepreneurial dreams and reach your goals faster.
If you’re a go-getter who prefers learning by doing, this book will inspire you to get up and build the business you’ve always wanted to run—right now.
21. “The $100 Startup” by Chris Guillebeau
“The $100 Startup” will convince you that the most successful entrepreneurs aren’t just plain old lucky or rich enough to start a business. Guillebeau gives inspiring examples of entrepreneurs who made success out of struggle and seized opportunities.
In his book, Guillebeau presents 50 of the most impressive success stories of business owners who started with only a few bucks to their name. If you’re feeling unmotivated because you don’t have the funds you think you need to start a business, this book will convince you that all you need is the idea and the drive to make it happen—and the rest will follow.
22. “The Fire Starter Sessions” by Danielle LaPorte
Searching for motivation to get going on your next venture? Then look no further.
“The Fire Starter Sessions” will be the book to give you the go-ahead on starting your small business. LaPorte offers 16 sessions full of motivation to take initiative, follow your passions, and reach your goals.
“The Fire Starter Sessions” will help you address what’s holding you back head on, so you’ll have no excuse not to start your business.
23. “The Barefoot Executive” by Carrie Wilkerson
If you have an idea and the will to be an entrepreneur, “The Barefoot Executive” will help you build on those raw materials to jump-start your transition.
Although it’s a personal story about how life circumstances forced the author to start her own business, “The Barefoot Executive” will give you tangible advice on how to kickstart a business based on what you already have. The book tackles issues like how you find your target market, developing your first small business marketing strategies, and building your brand.
24. “Lucky or Smart?” by Bo Peabody
Internet pioneer Bo Peabody is no stranger to the entrepreneur life. His book outlines what he learned as an entrepreneur so others can learn from it without having to learn some of the lessons the hard way. He’s the co-founder of one of the earliest websites, that was created in the 1990s, the first of many he’s created since.
25. “Thinking, Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman
Written by a Nobel Memorial Prize winner in economics, Daniel Kahneman, this book can lend some insight to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurs have to make multiple decisions on a daily basis and this book breaks down some of the psychology behind decision making and judgment. The differences between fast thinking and slow thinking are explained to help you understand how and why you make the decisions you make.
26. “The Art of the Start” by Guy Kawasaki
When you’ve been sitting on an idea for your business for a while, sometimes you just need a little inspiration to get up and do it. “The Art of the Start” will give you just that.
But it’s not only an inspirational book. Kawasaki, a former marketing executive at Apple, gives you effective techniques that you can use to jump-start a business. Read this book to learn how to make the perfect pitch, find employees that are talented, build your small business brand with limited capital, and more.
27. “Zero to One” by Peter Thiel
While mostly focused on startups in the tech industry, “Zero to One” has actionable advice for would-be business owners who need to harness their ideas and turn them into an actual company.
This legendary entrepreneur shows how important it is to know what you’re doing before you dive in. Thiel will tell you what you need to consider and what you need to avoid before moving forward. And most importantly, this book will help you decide if your idea is new and innovative.
As titles go, this is definitely one of the best business books out there, and what’s inside is worth the money.
28. “Will It Fly?” by Pat Flynn
So you have an idea for a small business… But do you know if it’ll work?
“Will It Fly?” will help you answer that question. Flynn wants you to take a step back before you rush into a business born from half-developed ideas or impulsive, misinformed decisions.
This book will help you decide if your idea has merit, if there’s space in your market for it, and if you actually believe in it. In other words, are you moving in the right direction?
“Will It Fly?” is full of practical ideas that you can use to test your small business idea before you invest all your time in it. It even has action-based exercises and real-world case studies.
The Best Books for Young Entrepreneurs
If you’re a younger entrepreneur hoping for some direction, you should check out these seven books for guidance as you navigate the rocky terrain of starting your own business.
29. “Enchantment” by Guy Kawasaki
For young entrepreneurs who might be just starting out, learning the art of enchantment and what it can do for you and your business is key. Enchantment is better than persuasion, the book argues, because it means you’ve created a change of mind in the other person.
Kawasaki, who also authored “The Art of the Start” has shared everything he’s learned in more than a dozen books since.
30. “The E-Myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber
When you have an idea for a business, or just begin to execute it, you’ll get advice thrown at you from all directions. While your friends, family, and colleagues are only trying to help you, their advice might leave you so confused that you’re constantly returning to the drawing table.
In “The E-Myth Revisited,” Gerber addresses the misconceptions and bad advice for starting your business and growing an idea into a successful venture. He breaks down how commonplace assumptions about starting a business can doom it from the beginning. So if you’re in need of some straightforward advice about how to execute on your business idea, read this book. Gerber will walk you through the steps of running a business from start to finish.
31. “The Startup Playbook” by David Kidder
Do you ever wish someone would just sit down and tell you what to do? Entrepreneurship is mostly about forging your own path, but sometimes it’s nice to be pushed in one direction.
So when you’re looking for some guidance on starting your business, read “The Startup Playbook.” With this book, the name says it all. “The Startup Playbook” is one of the best business books for entrepreneurs who need advice for any and all aspects of starting and running a business.
32. “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing” by Daniel H. Pink
How much of a role does timing play in the success of our business ventures, in our success in general? The answer will probably shock you, but you’ll understand why much better after reading Pink’s book on how you can turn timing into a science rather than art or luck.
Pink combines research, storytelling, and practical advice into a highly readable book that will help you think of timing much differently. It may end up guiding not just when you launch your business, but how you live your life.
33. “Founders at Work” by Jessica Livingston
“Founders at Work” is a collection of interviews with famous entrepreneurs who reveal what their now uber-successful businesses (think Apple, PayPal, Lotus, Hotmail, etc.) looked like in the early days.
The stories give you an inside look into what it was like when these star entrepreneurs were just a couple of friends with an idea. Their accounts are surprising, interesting, and often funny reflections on what it’s like to build a business. We guarantee that, as a small business owner, you’ll sympathize with some of what these entrepreneurs have to say.
“Founders at Work” is like being a fly on the wall at the most prominent entrepreneurs’ early meetings. How did they discover their idea and convince investors that it was a good idea? What went wrong? What would they do differently? Read this book to get some useful nuggets of entrepreneurial advice firsthand and see how famous companies got started.
34. “Lost and Founder” by Rand Fishkin
If you’re a new business owner wondering why your business isn’t experiencing incredible, Facebook-esque success right away, you might want to sit down and read this book by Fishkin, founder of Moz.
Fishkin promises, and delivers, an alternative look at the world of startups. Starting a business, especially a tech company, isn’t just high valuations and California lifestyles—there are pitfalls, failures, fizzled initiatives, and myriad ups and downs. If you feel like your venture’s trajectory isn’t on track—at any stage of the process—Fishkin’s memoir will put things in perspective and provide lessons you can apply to your own business.
35. “Finding Your Way in a Wild New World” by Martha Beck
This book from Beck, a life coach and author, isn’t exactly a business book, but it’s a great pick for new entrepreneurs who are still forming their ideas about what they want their business, career, and life to look like.
You’ll have something in common with Oprah Winfrey if you read Beck’s book and use her teaching to help you plan your career and life. Beck is one of the best-known life coaches in the country and her advice is available to anyone thanks to this book.
The Bottom Line on the Best Entrepreneur Books
There you have it: The best books for entrepreneurs at any stage of running a small business.
Keep these best books for entrepreneurs close to you and consult them often. They can provide invaluable wisdom when you need advice on how to be the best business owner you can be!